LONG BEACH — There’s not a racing discipline that Jeff Ward doesn’t like.

The San Juan Capistrano resident has shown to be a master of all trades, successful in them all.

Now Ward, who won seven motocross championships from 1978-92 and finished second in the 1999 Indianapolis 500, will try to conquer the sportscar circuit when the competes in Sunday’s Pirelli World Challenge during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

“The mindset is that I’ve been a racer my whole life and this fits right in,” said Ward, who is driving a Black Swan Racing Porsche Cayman in the GTS Invitational. “I can go go-karting, or whatever and figure it out.

“Everything comes at you and it’s inputting and react. It’s how you react to what you’re inputting. I’ve done that my whole life, so it’s another challenge.”

Ward was the dominant motocross rider in the 1980s, winning seven series titles while earning 56 wins. He moved on to the Indy Racing League and finished third and second, respectively, in the 1997 and ’99 Indy 500s. He also won at Texas in 2002. Ward, who has also competed in off-road and rallycar racing, was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2006.

He returns to Long Beach after competing in Indy Lights there in the mid 1990s. But by no means does Ward believe he has an advantage over his competitors.

“They’ve been on tracks, so they know the car better than I know the car,” Ward said. “Still, there’s a learning curve when you haven’t been to a track. I haven’t been here in a long time. But it’s just a matter learning quick and adapting.

“I raced here three times, so I know the routine of ramping up on a track. I’m not behind in that area, just learning the breaks on this car, is probably the biggest thing.”

The Long Beach jinx?

Is there a jinx for Team Rahal in Long Beach?

It might appear that way. Neither Graham Rahal nor his dad, Bobby, ever tasted victory on the streets of Long Beach, although the younger Rahal hopes to change that this week.

“Sometimes, it’s been me,” said Rahal, whose average finish is outside the top 10. “This hasn’t been a place that’s been lucky for me.

“But that’s kind of been the name of the Rahal game here. My dad finished second here four times; I finished second once. None of us have ever won this race. It’s a unique deal. Hopefully, all of us can get that monkey off our back this weekend.”

Davison to compete in Indy 500 for Foyt

A.J. Foyt Enterprises announced Friday that James Davison will drive for the team in the 102nd Indianapolis 500 in May.

Davison, driving for the injured Sebastien Bourdais, finished 20th in last year’s race.